ITALIAN LANGUAGE COURSES

They are Italian language courses for foreign adults. They aim at obtaining a knowledge of the Italian language not below level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference.

The qualification certifying the Italian language at level A2 is useful for issuing the residence permit EU for long-term residents (DM 4/6/2010 art. 2 c.1).

The literacy and Italian language learning courses have a total duration of 200 hours, of which n. 20 hours for onboarding and orientation activities and n. 180 hours for learning activities:

• Onboarding and orientation stage: 20 hours
• Level A1: 100 hours
• Level A2: 80 hours

If the need for more effective linguistic integration of the students emerges during the onboarding phase, the Literacy and Italian language courses can include additional 60 hours, for a total duration of n. 260 hours.

During the onboarding phase, each student receives an indication of his or her timetable through the stipulation of a formal individual learning agreement (Patto Formativo Individuale), drawn up by the appropriate Commission.

At the end of the courses, after assessment of the learning outcomes and upon completion of the prescribed attendance (at least 70% of the amount of time envisaged by the individual learning agreement), the qualification certifying the achievement of the A2 CEFR level of knowledge of the Italian language is issued.

The number of days and hours of lessons per week are different in the different locations where the courses are provided. Lessons can take place in the morning or in the afternoon, based on the requests and organization of the various associated offices.

Italian language courses focus on 5 areas (listening, reading, oral and written interaction, oral production and written production) for a total of 20 different skills that correspond to levels A1 and A2 of the CEFR.

Students reaching the so-called A1 level can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type; they can introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have; and they can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

At A2 level, instead, students can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment); they can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters; and they can describe in simple terms aspects of their background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.

CPIA students’ learning pathways can be personalised based on the recognition of the competences previously acquired through formal, informal and non-formal learning. A specific Commission (Commissione per la definizione del Patto Formativo Individuale) established in each CPIA is in charge of the process.

After a first phase of reception and orientation of the students, the recognition of competences is organised in three main steps:

1. The identification of the competences acquired through formal, non-formal and informal learning by the student;
2. The evaluation of the competences identified in phase 1;
3. The certification of competences and the allocation of credits.

During the certification phase, the Commission analyses the skills identified and evaluated in the previous steps. The Commission has the right to validate and certify only a limited number of competences among those identified, and defines the number of hours needed to finalise the pathway chosen by the student on the basis of the results of the tests conducted in the evaluation phase.

Overall, only competences up to 50% of the total hours of the course attended by the adult can be recognised as credits.

The adult education system provides that adults can attend at distance a part of the educational period of the course requested at the time of enrollment, up to 20% of the total number of hours of the same educational period.